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Policing and Harm Reduction (Illicit Drugs)
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 In April 2007, IHRA launched the third in a series of “50 Best” document collections – this time focusing on the role that the police (and other law enforcement personnel) can play in a harm reduction approach. The “50 Best” collections have been created by IHRA in order to provide free access to key harm reduction resources. The idea is to highlight around 50 papers which best summarise the evidence-base, reasoning and justification for various harm reduction interventions and approaches. These resources can then be used by other researchers, policy-makers, advocates or anyone interested in the field.
This particular set of documents has been compiled by Dwight Vick and Amy-Beckius Johnson from the University of South Dakota, USA, with the support and guidance of IHRA and an International Reference Panel. The idea is to provide a one-stop resource centre for anyone who is interested in the role that the police play in supporting or hindering harm reduction interventions around the world. Many of the documents in the collection are freely available to download through the IHRA website (with many more free access documents to be added in the coming weeks).
For as long as street drugs remain illegal, the police will always have a massive impact on drug-related harm. Across the world, there are examples of law enforcement agencies being actively and constructively engaged in harm reduction research and practice. Paradoxically, there is also a wealth of research demonstrating how irresponsible or inappropriate policing can actually increase drug-related harms. The continuous education, motivation and sensitisation of law enforcement officials, alongside the promotion of best practice, are essential to the development and success of harm reducing schemes.
It is hoped that, by providing this collection, IHRA will be able to raise international awareness on this topic and showcase some of the best (and worst) practice from around the world. The collection can then, hopefully, guide policing practices and harm reduction interventions around the world. Until now, there has been no single, readily accessible and up-to-date source of key documents on this topic. The collection is separated by sub-topics (such as needle exchanges and police misconduct), and is fully searchable on the website.
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Click here to view the IHRA Key Publications page
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Click here to view an overview of the “50 Best” collections in general
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Click here to see the collection on Policing and Harm Reduction (Illicit Drugs)
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IHRA plans to launch several more “50 Best” collections on a wide range of harm reduction topics. Later this year, we will launch collections on ‘Alcohol Harm Reduction’ and ‘Harm Reduction Advocacy’. Please contact IHRA if you have any feedback on our existing collections, any ideas or proposals for future topics, or if you would like to volunteer to work on a collection for us.
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New Staff Start at IHRA
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Three new staff start work in IHRA’s London Office in April – a Senior Policy Advisor, a Research Analyst and a Human Rights Analyst. These new posts have been made possible through new funding from the UK Government’s Department For International Development (DFID) and are aimed at improving the organisation’s capacity to monitor, critique and lobby the major multilateral agencies (such as the United Nations).
Rick Lines has started as our new Senior Policy Advisor, overseeing the new DFID-funded programme of work. Rick has been the Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust since August 2003 – a post that he will continue to hold on a part-time basis until June 2007.
Rick has been working on prisoners’ rights advocacy and policy for more than a decade, and is internationally recognised for his expertise in HIV/AIDS and harm reduction in prison settings. His previous roles include National Programs Coordinator for Prisoners’ HIV/AIDS Support Action Network in Toronto (1993—2000), Drug Strategy Coordinator for the North Western Health Board in Sligo, Ireland (2000—2002) and Prison Policy Consultant for the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network in Montreal (2002—2003).
Rick has travelled around the world working on HIV/AIDS and prison projects, and has held advisory roles with the prison services in Canada, Romania and Bulgaria, as well as acting as team leader in the drafting of global policy on HIV/AIDS in prisons, which was published jointly by the UNODC, WHO and UNAIDS in 2006.
Rick has spoken internationally on HIV/AIDS in prisons, including presentations before the Canadian Parliamentary Subcommittee on AIDS (1996), members of the U.S. Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (1998), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2004 & 2005). He has a wide range of national and international publications and presentations, and holds Masters Degrees in both Sociology and International Human Rights Law. Please click here to email Rick Lines.
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Damon Barrett has also started working for IHRA in April as the Human Rights Analyst. Damon has an LLB (Degree) in Law, and an LLM (Masters Degree) in International Human Rights Law, and has focused on the promotion and protection of the human rights of vulnerable groups. Prior to joining IHRA, Damon worked at Save the Children UK as a researcher on the rights of the child and the international legal systems and mechanisms.
Damon’s new role at IHRA involves monitoring the performance of major multilateral agencies (such as the United Nations) against their existing commitments and obligations in terms of harm reduction and the human rights of drug users. Please click here to email Damon Barrett.
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On April 23rd 2007, Catherine Cook also joins IHRA as the Research Analyst. Catherine has a BSc in Psychology from Sussex University and an MSc in Cross-cultural Psychology from Brunel University, London. Prior to IHRA, Catherine was the Programme Assistant at the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, in a team providing international technical support on HIV/AIDS care and impact mitigation issues to non-governmental and community-based organisations in developing countries. Please click here to email Catherine Cook.
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In addition to these three new posts, IHRA has also recruited two new administrative personnel in London on a temporary basis. Andres Woreth is working part-time as the Senior Administrator, looking after the IHRA finances and organisational development, and Annie Kuch is working as our full-time Administrator.
All of these new posts are based in the IHRA London Office (IHRA c/o DrugScope, 40 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UD, United Kingdom), alongside the Executive Director, Professor Gerry Stimson, and the Communications and Project Development Officer, Jamie Bridge. More details about the IHRA team can be found on our Staff page.
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IHRA Engaged in 50th Commission on Narcotic Drugs
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In March 2007, the 50th Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was held in Vienna, Austria. The five-day meeting covered a wide range of drug-related issues, including global harm reduction strategies. As part of the official meeting proceedings Professor Gerry Stimson (IHRA’s Executive Director) presented as a member of the UK Government delegation.
The CND is the annual gathering of all United Nations member states to discuss and make decisions on a wide range of issues related to the global drug control system, the work programme of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). It is the principle policy-making process for drug control in the UN system, and is held in March each year.
In the build-up to the meeting, both the UNODC and INCB released their annual reports, both of which marked the basis of much discussion during the five days. At the meeting itself, Mr. Antonio Maria Costa (the Executive Director of the UNODC) stated that the world’s drug problem was being contained and that drug demand and supply were “levelling out” after decades of upwards trends. The UN member states then also discussed the timing and procedure for the drug strategy review, which is due in 2008. It was agreed that the 2008 CND meeting would mark the start of this review process, climaxing in a major focus (and decisions) at the 2009 CND.
As could be expected, numerous government delegations (including the UK, the Netherlands, and Switzerland) strongly supported harm reduction approaches to drug use, as did the European Union delegation. Conversely (but equally as expected), a handful of governments openly opposed harm reduction (including the USA and Japan).
In a plenary session at the CND, Gerry Stimson was asked to present to the member states as a representative of the UK Government and an expert in, and supporter of, harm reduction. The speech was well received at the meeting, and a full transcript is available below. Reflecting on the meeting, Gerry Stimson said “HIV prevention is now clearly accepted by most of the UN member states as part of the mandate of the UNODC, though the considerable increase in resources and activity is underplayed by Mr Costa. Next on the agenda for NGOs and member states is to persuade the UNODC to address a whole range of other preventable health problems - including overdose, hepatitis C and hepatitis B".
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Related links:
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 Click here for a transcript of Gerry Stimson’s speech at the 50th CND [PDF: 24KB]
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Click here for an International Drug Policy Consortium report on the 50th CND [PDF: 1.06MB]
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INCB Attacks Drug Consumption Rooms (Again)
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In March 2007, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) published its latest Annual Report (for 2006), in which it again voiced an opposition to Drug Consumption Rooms (DCRs). Here, Rick Lines the IHRA Senior Policy Advisor, reviews the INCB position.
DCRs have been established in several countries in recent years, and scientific evaluations have consistently shown them to be effective harm reduction and HIV prevention interventions - particularly for the most marginalised people who inject drugs (such as homeless drug users). However, this record of positive health outcomes has done nothing to deter the criticism of the INCB, which continues to employ sensationalised language to describe these health facilities.
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According to the INCB Annual Report:
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“The Board notes with concern that, despite its ongoing dialogue with the Governments concerned, drug injection rooms, where drug abusers can abuse with impunity drugs acquired on the illicit market, remain in operation in a number of countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Switzerland. The Board regrets that no measures have been taken to terminate the operation of such facilities in the countries concerned, and, in some cases, the number of such rooms has increased.”
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Paragraph 175
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The Annual Report repeatedly accuses countries with DCRs of being in violation of UN drug control treaties:
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“The Board wishes to reiterate that the provision of rooms for the abuse of drugs, regardless of whether they are under the direct or indirect supervision of the Government, are contrary to the international drug control treaties…[The INCB] believes that any national, state or local authority that permits the establishment and operation of rooms or any outlet to facilitate the abuse of drugs, by injection or any other route of administration, also provides an opportunity for illicit drug distribution. The Board would like to emphasize that Governments have an obligation to combat illicit drug trafficking in all its forms.”
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Paragraphs 176—177
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The INCB’s legal reasoning for reaching this conclusion is never explained. In 2002, the INCB requested an opinion from the Legal Affairs section of the UN International Drug Control Programme about whether or not harm reduction interventions (including DCRs) were compatible with the UN narcotics control treaties. The Legal Affairs section seemed to contradict the INCB position, and concluded that:
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“It would be difficult to assert that, in establishing drug-injection rooms, it is the intent of Parties to actually incite or induce the illicit use of drugs, or even more so, to associate with, aid, abet or facilitate the possession of drugs. On the contrary, it seems clear that in such cases the intention of governments is to provide healthier conditions for IV drug abusers, thereby reducing their risk of injection with grave transmittable diseases and, at least in some cases, reaching out to them with counselling and other therapeutic options. Albeit how insufficient this may look from a demand reduction point of view, it would still fall far from the intent of committing an offence as foreseen in the 1988 Convention.”
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The INCB, however, maintained their opposition to DCRs in their latest report, despite the legal rejection of their position and the ever-growing body of scientific research demonstrating the value and effectiveness of these interventions. As such, the INCB have once again shown their willingness to put ideology ahead of evidence.
So what are the implications of these reports and statements? In Canada, a recent internal report by Health Canada for the Canadian Government discussed the consequences of renewing or not renewing the license for Insite (the only DCR in North America). The document listed the likely consequences either way - each consequence being rated in terms of its potential impact. Health Canada concluded that one of the most significant consequences of renewing the license was the “negative reaction/criticism from the international community" (referring mainly to pressure from the INCB and USA). This concern was weighed against the proven health and scientific benefits such as HIV and hepatitis C prevention and the engagement of homeless drug users. As a result of this report, the Canadian Government opted to offer a temporary license extension pending further evaluation and consultations – a decision that does not sufficiently protect the facility’s future.
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Click here to read the news article about the Vancouver DCR
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Click here to view the Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2006
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Click here for the March 2007 Article of the Month (about the INCB)
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INPUD Launch Congress and New Website
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The newly established International Network of People who Use Drugs launched their official website in March 2007 - www.inpud.org. They have also formally launched their 2nd Congress, which will take place on Sunday 13th May 2007 in Warsaw, Poland.
The INPUD website aims to be a platform for communication for drug user activists around the world. Commenting on the website launch, Stijn Goossens said “the website will enable drug users to raise our voice as citizens, establish our basic human rights, and reclaim the right to be our own spokespersons striving for self-representation and self-empowerment. We will use it to shout out that we exist, and we will use it to achieve what we strive for”.
The INPUD website will be constantly changing, adapting and improving over the coming months to meet the needs of this developing network. Currently, it contains the latest INPUD news and announcements. By visiting the website, you can also register for an INPUD account (for use in the chat room and discussion board), and sign up for the newsletter.
To coincide with the website launch, INPUD have also released the programme for the 2nd International Users Congress, which will take place in Warsaw, Poland on Sunday 13 May - just before the 18th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm.
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The Congress will take place at the Gromada Conference Centre in Warsaw from 8.30am until 3pm, and will include lunch and refreshments. In addition, however, INPUD have organised two major sessions (dubbed the “Users Choice” sessions) in the main conference programme, and also have a programme of workshops and skills building sessions during the week.
The funding for both the INPUD website and Congress has been provided by IHRA, courtesy of funding from the UK Government’s Department for International Development.
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INPUD would like to hear from any drug user activists (whether they are planning to attend the Congress or not), and would appreciate any feedback or comments that you may have about the new website.
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Click here to contact Stijn Goosens.
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April 2007 Article of the Month
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Yi-Ming Arthur Chen & Steve Hsu-Sung Kuo (2007) HIV-1 in Taiwan. The Lancet, 369 (9562), 623-625.
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This commentary piece in The Lancet documents the current challenges and advances being made in Taiwan in terms of HIV prevalence and harm reduction. As the authors state, “Taiwan is entering a new and dangerous phase” in terms of its HIV epidemic, with reported cases more than doubling between 2004 and 2005, and estimated prevalence suggesting one of the greatest infection rates in Asia. The authors also report “enormous increases in the amount of heroin smuggled into Taiwan”, and in injecting drug use.
In response to these concerns, Taiwan set out to learn from its Asian neighbours, many of whom had already embraced harm reduction in response to injecting drug use-related HIV epidemics. The authors specifically mention the contributions of Professor Gerry Stimson (IHRA Executive Director) and Dr. Alex Wodak (a member of the IHRA Executive Committee) – who visited Taiwan in 2005. Consultations with harm reduction experts and visits to harm reduction programmes prompted the Taiwanese Government to embark on a pilot programme of syringe exchanges, methadone maintenance therapy (including in prisons), free HAART (Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy) and community-based programmes for men who have sex with men.
This article demonstrates the influence that the international harm reduction movement can have on national policies and decision making. Harm reduction is a scientifically proven response to HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C and a range of other drug-related health harms. The Taiwanese experience demonstrates how, even in politically challenging environments, the pragmatic nature of the harm reduction approach can win out. As well as the recent embracing of harm reduction, the NGO and civil society presence in Taiwan is growing and, as early as 1990, a law was passed to protect the human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS for treatment, education, and employment.
This commentary on Taiwan (along with many of the other articles in this edition of The Lancet) demonstrates the potential for harm reduction in the region, but also the on-going challenges that face these nations. As The Lancet states in its editorial summary, “opportunities for collaboration across all borders must be taken. Strategies that work, such as needle-exchange or methadone-maintenance programmes, need to be scaled-up, and consistently used along trafficking routes”.
To view this edition of The Lancet, you need to register on their website at http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet .
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IHRA’s Annual General Meeting
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Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the International Harm Reduction Association will be held on:
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Monday 14th May 2007 at 5.30pm
Gromada Congress Hotel (Agat Room)
32, 17 Stycznia Street,
Warsaw, Poland
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The meeting will be held during the 18th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm. All IHRA members are invited to attend. Please note that those holding free memberships are entitled to attend but are not entitled to vote at the AGM.
The business of the meeting shall be pursuant to section 14 of the Articles of Association:
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- To confirm the Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting
- To receive a report from the Executive for the year ending 31st December 2006
- To receive and approve the accounts, balance sheets, and the reports of the Accountants
- To appoint and fix the remuneration of the Accountants.
- To elect members to fill vacancies on the Executive from nominations received. The following directors are retiring as per Section 33 of the Articles of Association, but are eligible for re-election:
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Bill Stronach, Australia
Alex Wodak, Australia
Patricia Spittal, Canada
Emilis Subata, Lithuania
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- To transact any business of which at least seven days notice in writing has been given.
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Bill Stronach
Secretary and Treasurer
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Click here for more details about nominations for the IHRA Executive
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Click here for IHRA membership options
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Drug Recruitment Website is Launched
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On the 30th April, an exciting and innovative international recruitment website launches for the drugs and harm reduction field - www.drugrecruitment.com. This new resource allows organisations to post jobs (initially for free), allows individuals to search a wide range of vacancies, and raises money for IHRA in the process!
drugrecruitment.com has many smart features and has been designed with your needs in mind: to be easy to use, saving you time and money, and with downloadable CV’s to give you access to a wealth of potential candidates that are just a click away.
As a special introductory offer, you can post vacancies on this new website for FREE until the 1st of June (inclusive). Just use the promotional code IHR076 when posting your vacancies and your organisation will automatically receive £50 credit to spend on drugrecruitment.com, who will then match this with a donation to IHRA! (Each agency can only use this code once).
To find out more, please visit www.drugrecruitment.com Alternatively, please contact the Drug Recruitment Team on +44 (0) 208 987 6069 or email Drug Recruitment.
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Irish Poll Shows Support for Non-Custodial Drug Responses
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Survey results released in April 2007 indicate that Irish voters (across all political parties) would prefer to see offenders diverted away from prison and into non-custodial programmes that address issues such as drug and alcohol use.
The TNS/MRBI poll, commissioned by the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults during January 2007 in order to gauge public opinion on a range of issues related to the prison system.
The poll reveals that most people would rather see non-violent offenders diverted away from prison and into drug treatment programmes, mental health programmes or community service. 81% of the respondents believe that offenders with a drug addiction should be placed in drug recovery programmes instead of serving a prison sentence. The poll also revealed that voters of all political parties question the use of prisons as the best way to deal with crime. 66% of the respondents believed that people come out of prison in a worse situation than when they go in, and 44% agreed that the criminalisation of drug use causes more harms than it reduces (only 28% of respondents disagreed with this statement).
According to Rick Lines (the IPRT Executive Director who started working for IHRA this month), “This survey shows that voters of all political persuasions see prison as a failed response to dealing with most crime. Politicians often claim that their calls for ever harsher penalties and ever bigger prisons are based upon public demand for such measures. This research exposes the fallacy of that position”.
Please visit the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) for further details.
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Click here to view the full IPRT Report
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Call for Civil Society Involvement in UNAIDS
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The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has recently issued a call for civil society representatives for its Programme Coordinating Board (PCB). Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) can apply to be delegates on the UNAIDS PCB, and help to ensure the effective inclusion of community voices in the key global policy forum for HIV and AIDS. As delegates, these NGOs represent the perspectives of civil society, including people living with HIV, within UNAIDS policies and programming.
UNAIDS was the first United Nations programme to have formal civil society representation on its governing body. The PCB serves as the governing body on all programmatic issues concerning the policies, strategies, finances, monitoring and evaluation of UNAIDS. It consists of representatives from 22 governments from around the world, the 10 UN agencies that co-sponsor UNAIDS, and an NGO delegation which has 5 seats (one for each region - Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, and North America), with five additional ‘alternate’ delegates in reserve. Each NGO delegate serves a staggered term of up to three years.
There are currently vacancies for two year terms (from 1st January 2008 to 31st December 2009) for a delegate from Asia/Pacific, and alternate delegates from Africa, Asia/Pacific, and Europe. The deadline for applications is 16th April 2007, and more details can be found at www.unaids.org/en/GetStarted/CSPCB.asp
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UNAIDS PCB Call For Nominations of NGO Delegates 2008-2009 [PDF: 32KB]
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UNAIDS PCB Terms Of Reference for NGO Delegates 2008-2009 [PDF: 93KB]
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UNAIDS PCB Application Form for NGO Delegates 2008-2009 [WORD: 74KB]
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Earlier this year, the Russian Harm Reduction Network (RHRN) was nominated as the European Alternate Delegate on the UNAIDS PCB for 2007 and 2008. This appointment will help to ensure a focus within the PCB on people living with HIV/AIDS, their human rights (such as access to prevention, treatment and care), and harm reduction. To contact the RHRN about this process and status, please contact their nominated representative – RHRN Executive Director Vitaly Djuma.
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The current UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board NGO Delegation consists of the following representatives and organisations:
Africa Delegate: Mary Balikungeri, Rwanda Women’s Network
Africa Alternate Delegate: James Kayo, Cameroonian Network of Associations of PLHIV (RECAP+)
Asia/Pacific Delegate: Rachel Ong, Asia Pacific Network of PLHIV (APN+)
Asia/Pacific Alternate Delegate: Bhawani Shanker Kusum, Gram Bharati Samiti
Europe Delegate: Paulo Vieira, YouAct
Europe Alternate Delegate: Vitaly Djuma, Russian Harm Reduction Network
Latin America/Caribbean Delegate: Sandra F. Batista, Rede Latinoamericana de Redução de Danos (RELARD)
Latin America/Caribbean Alternate Delegate: Gracia Violeta Ross, Responsible Nacional (REDBOL)
North America Delegate: Michael O’Connor, Interagency Coalition on AIDS & Development (ICAD)
North America Alternate Delegate: Zonibel Woods, International Women Health Coalition (IWHC)
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